The Fox and the Guardian
by Metal4k
Summary: A Nine Tailed fox. An Immortal Gaurdian. Together or apart, the darkness will come, but only one path leads to saving everything. Can the Fox and the Guardian change the course of all things? Or will they die trying?
1. Prologue

**The Fox and the Guardian.**

 **Prologue**

* * *

 _ **Landing! Stick the landing, Andy!**_

I blinked rapidly, my eyes trying to focus as my mind restarted and my senses came to the forefront of my thoughts.

Trees.

Loads of trees and rain and it was dark.

… and I was falling.

My eyes widened, "holy geez! What the hell!"

I twisted my body, forcing my legs around towards the ground right as I passed the first tree top.

I probably had about-

 _Smack!_

 _Crack!_

"Fuckkkkkk!"

 _ **That must've hurt like hell…**_ the ever present voice of my Ghost, a Guardians personal AI and best friend, filled my head.

"Ah… geezzzzzzzzz! Fuckkkkkk!" I roared, my eyes slamming shut as I grabbed my right leg, pulling the now twisted appendage towards my chest.

 _ **Ooh it probably shouldn't be facing that way…**_

"This is not the time for pointing out the obvious Kait!"

 _ **Sorry…**_

My helmet vanished, dark hair and caramel skin exposed to the nights cool touch.

I grimaced as I sat up, my black cape fanned out behind me as I stared through narrowed eyes and grit teeth at how my leg was literally facing the wrong direction.

How the heck I managed that was beyond anyone's guess but by the Light it hurrrttttttt….

A flash of light, and my ever faithful Ghost floated into her physical form next to me.

A white metal shell with pink highlights barely visible in the dead of night.

 _ **Well, I can fix you up, but it'll probably take at least an hour… if that. Sorry…**_ her voice was soft, the fragile thing blasting my own emotions with genuine sadness.

I playfully rolled my eyes before sighing, "yeah well, we're stuck in the middle of a forest on…" I blinked looking around once before continuing, "actually where are we?"

I grunted as I shifted wrong and pain lanced up my leg.

 _Damn trees. Made me miss judge the fall._

 _ **Well, it's not the first time you've broken your leg falling. Also I'm not sure? I'm not registering any Comms or any transmat zones.**_

 _One that time on Mars didn't count! Two, that's weird, but it's happened before, no worries. Plus we're in a forest so we're on Venus most likely._

 _ **Oh? And what about the time at the Reef? Or the time you fell off the stage at a karaoke-**_

 _Point taken!_

I cringed as the embarrassing memories replayed themselves in my head. Geez that sucked.

Still the pain in my head kept me focused and I sighed, "well, I'd rather you fix my leg, but fuck it, forests don't scream safe to me and this will get me killed either way."

I grabbed the hand cannon on my thigh, a massive side arm capable of punching through three feet of steel at the least, and aimed it at my head.

 _ **Are you sure-**_

Bang!

Nothing.

Then there was light and-

 _ **-really wish you wouldn't do that. I hate seeing you shoot yourself without warning. It's not very fun.**_

I cringed as I stood to my full height, my leg healed perfectly with my resurrection and I replied, _sorry Kait._

The ghost lowered herself a bit to my eyes level and twirled happily, _**well at least you're okay now! Plus im sure Zavala and Cause are wondering where the hell you are. Also there's a woman watching us.**_

I rolled my eyes, _Zavala's an ass and Caydes probably stalling for us, so if we take the highway just south of the Ishtar sink we could probably meet up with them at base camp and- hold on what?_

I blinked and turned around as much ghost faded with a flash of light.

There was nothing in the trees. Nothing except darkness and silence.

Instantly my body tensed and I once more drew my hand cannon, my other hand slipping a knife from its sheath on my waist.

"Didn't you say a woman was watching us?" I asked aloud, my helmet flashing into existence and covering my head.

 _ **Yup. Don't know where she went. She seemed… curious?**_

I raised an eyebrow.

 _Curious?_

 _ **Yeah! Like genuinely curious, plus she didn't attack you, so not a force of darkness at least.**_

 _Fair point._

I sighed aloud, and dropped my hands to my sides, "all right lady you can come out now! I'm a Guardian! Just crashing landing through the trees…" my voice died out.

Damn trees.

There was a cracking branch, and my instincts screamed at me to duck, but the crack was in front of me and I saw the cause of it; a woman with golden eyes and midnight black hair.

I rested the urge to duck and fire.

Light knows I've been ambushed at least ten times by Fallen soldiers in similar situations.

 _ **Like that time in Russia when you and Katherine were-**_

 _Yes Kait. I remember that too._

 _ **You had intestines in your hair for days. Hehe**_.

I sighed. Damn ghost.

Still, I kept my eyes on the woman, a harder than normal feet considering how dare it was underneath these trees.

Crazzzccckk!

Thunder roared above me and I glanced upward, though my focus never truly left the woman.

It was enough to see her jump at the intrusion, her eyes shooting to the sky and silently cursing nature.

"Look, I don't have all day. Do you need a ride to the Last City?"

 _ **Uhhh Andy, about that…**_

I pushed our mental link aside and focused on the woman as she narrowed her eyes at me- hold on were her eyes glowing?

I blinked and the image faded, just the woman with golden eyes again. No glowing.

"Look my ships not too far from here, but hey if you have a place to go back too then by all means. Just be careful, Fallen are crawling around this area."

 _ **Andy seriously, somethings really wrong-**_

Again I pushed the link aside. She seemed more curious than anything so it was obviously nothing to worry about.

Still, the woman hadn't moved.

She simply stood behind a tree in a low crouch, her eyes glued to me as she simply looked around the trunk.

I frowned.

"Do you even speak English?"

A nod.

I sighed. "Okay well, I kinda need an answer here. Unless you're mute. Then I'd just feel like a dick."

With a deep breath the woman moved from behind the tree and took a few steps towards me.

She was my height and her attire was that of a red top and white shirt that showed a lot of leg.

Her eyes truly were golden, and her skin- fuck were those wolf ears on her head!?

 _Kait, am I losing my shit here?_

 _ **Andy no its- wait wolf ears? What?**_

I blinked twice, my confusion obvious as the smallest of smirks pulled at the corners of her lips.

How did… prosthetic? Maybe?

I shook my head. Didn't matter.

"Okay look lady, or wolf lady," she frowned, "do you need a ride?"

She tilted her head.

"What are you?"

Instantly I felt my heart rate increase.

Weird.

A… what the… am I feeling hot?

 _Kait did the temperature just increase?_

 _ **No but your heart rate did. Like a lot. Also we're not getting any sort of comms here.**_

That froze me.

What does that-

"You fell from the sky," she asked taking a step towards me, leaning in as if she were examining me, "yet you live and move fine."

The way she moved.

It was…

I gulped.

Intoxicating. She was alluring so to speak, and…

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before replying, "um yeah, kinda thing we do. And hell I'm a Guardian. You know big bad light warrior."

She blinked in confusion and took a step closer.

 _ **-ndy-some-ot-rong-**_

Huh. What was that annoying voice. Weird.

"And what is a Guardian?" She purred and her eyes began to glow.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Warrior. You know."

She narrowed her gaze, and as she came close enough to touch I noticed the flush on her cheeks, the way her eyes were that of a feline.

And the nine tails trailing behind her.

Yet none of it bothered me.

Then for some reason… her body glowed. God. I wanted her. I _need_ her.

She stepped forward again, a finger caressing my check as she spoke, "never… felt this before. So much… strength."

She licked her lips.

But then my eyes returned to hers.

They were… awesome…

 _ **-DY-SOM-RONG-AKE-P-AN-TOP-**_

The annoying voice. I ignored it.

I couldn't take my eyes off hers. I didn't want to.

She stepped closer.

"Come to me…" she whispered, and a pink wave washed over me.

I stepped closer. My helmet vanishes.

Her lips came closer, and as her tails wrapped around me and pulled me into their warm embrace, I realized just how beautiful this woman was.

Soft lips meet mine and-

Pain.

"AHHHH!"

But the screams wasn't just mine. It was hers too.

The woman fell back, as did I, my head hitting the ground with a snap.

"Shit!"

 _ **Andy! Oh thank the Light! I couldn't reach you!**_

I blinked in confusion and grit my teeth in pain.

 _What're you talking about Kait?_

Golden eyes landed on me, the beauty gone and replaced with that of confusion and anger.

I easily took my eyes off her and made sure to scan my surroundings on instinct.

 _ **You were… I don't know! It was weird! I couldn't talk to you! Like, a wall was between us and I couldn't feel you and your light!**_

"You're human…"

A sweet voice, soft and humble and I looked to the woman once more. She was holding a hand to her head, massaging it lightly as she pushed herself to her knees.

"...but you're not."

I tilted my head, "I told you I'm a Guardian."

"Guardian?" She asked, slowly standing, muscles tense and obviously on edge as if I was going to attack.

"Uh duh? Light soldier? Defender of humanity and the traveler?"

No response.

I shook my head, both in annoyance and with the hope of clearing away some of the pain.

But with a groan I sat up and slowly pushed myself to my feet.

 _Kait, what do you mean a wall?_

 _ **I'm not sure! It… it was a… an energy I couldn't identify… but it came from her. It had to. There's no other energy source around here but her.**_

My eyes narrowed at the woman, a motion she immediately picked up on and forced her to take a step back.

I gently picked my hand canon, wary of the woman now that I knew something was happening.

"What did you do to me?" I asked, my voice growing steady and cold.

He swallowed hard, and took another step back the golden glow returning to her eyes as blue energy swirled around her arms.

She looked… like a caged animal. Terrified, and terrifying all the same.

 _ **Odd... She doesn't have any darkness in her! That doesn't make sense! Then why would she attack you?**_

 _So she's human?_

 _ **I can't tell without a blood sample… maybe go easy on her? She doesn't seem… well, super violent…**_

I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm gonna ask one more time. I said what did you do-"

Blue energy, flashing and wild, flew at me and at a speed fast enough I was forced to use blink to dodge to the side.

 _So much for not being violent!_

 _ **I said super violent!**_

Her eyes barely widened, but it's was visible how her will steeled and then her tails fanned out like a pissed off wolf.

Blue flames flashed out at me, three in total each firing from one tail.

I expertly dodged the first two; one going around me and the other I sidestepped.

The third hit me dead on in the chest, the flash and power draining my armors shields by at least ten percent.

Pain lanced through my head. Then... memories mixed with it.

 _A small tabby cat. Bright eyes. A woman with blonde hair and a delicate laughter._

I… I'd never seen these people before…

The pain pressed and I frowned, pushing the thoughts away.

And that was just one...

I blinked again, the teleportation ability launching me at least a dozen feet to my right, and I raised my weapon.

 _Bang_!

Two rounds left my gun, the woman's eyes flashing with fear before she expertly weaved under the first and as the second flew to connect with her leg energy enveloped her body and she dashed to the side almost as quick as my blink.

Almost, but it still fast enough to avoid my round.

My eyes widened.

 _ **Uh, so that's not good Andy. She's fast and- duck!**_

I did as warned and another sizeable lump of energy flew over my head. But as I did, I saw the trap.

At least six blue flames raced at me from all directions, and the woman was pulling back her arm for another arc of energy.

Physically, I had no way out.

So once more I teleported upwards, the fire racing under me and through where I had once been.

Arc lightning wrapped around me, and I drew back my hand, and with a mighty heave related an arc grenade right at her.

She saw it and dove aside, my light vaporizing the shrubbery below where she had been.

I landed and rolled under another bout of flame, coming up on a knee and this time unleashing the rest of my clip at her.

Again she dove, fire once more springing up to her, and completely incinerating what rounds she didn't manage to dodge.

Now _that_ , was surprising.

I grimaced and jumped back, letting a single bout of flame singe the earth instead of me.

My hand cannon, the graceful killer called The Old Fashioned, disappeared in a flash, and with a mighty spectacle, Ice Breaker the most powerful sniper rifle in existence flashed into my arms.

The sheer size of the sniper very much for its power and I fired almost instantly, careful to aim for her shoulder.

The shockwave blew apart the air around me and it shook the very trees.

For all her agility, even the woman wasn't fast enough to dodge, instead her tails swinging around to shield her.

Blue flames exploded as my round connected with her, a shockwave blasting out and literally ripping the two trees behind her apart.

I held my ground and let my light roll off me in arcs of lightning.

The woman was still standing, her hair now disheveled and her stance weaker. Whatever had happened obviously tired her out.

I frowned.

I didn't want to kill this idiot but damn she was making it hard.

Maybe talking would work now that she was tired.

"Look we can talk this out, I don't want to hurt you lady."

She snarled, more like a purr mixed with a vicious growl and suddenly she was lurching towards me far faster than I thought possible.

Pink and blue swirled around her.

I stepped back, fist emblazoned with enough Arc lightning to vaporize all ten feet of a Fallen Captain, then I blinked forward.

Nine tails engulfed in blue flame met the fist of lightning.

The last thing I saw before the darkness was a flash of burning light and fire.

* * *

 **A/N Soooo hey! I'm back with a new story! Don't worry, the newest chapter of the darkest Knight is also in the works about halfway done right now.**

 **I apologize for the delay in content, I've been swamped at work, and I've barely started finding my groove.**

 **So with that, the newest TDK chapter should be out hopefully within the next week as I've pumped 2,000 words into already in the past week, so I'm hoping to get more done tonight and later on.**

 **Now this story was a passion project of mine. I really like League but was unsure of how to go about writing a fic for it. Then I realized, why not do a destiny crossover? Like what I did with the Darkest Knight?**

 **And here we are!**

 **Obviously it's Ahri our Guardian encountered here in the forest, and I'll tell you right now, they are BOTH protagonists in this story. Aside from this chapter, each one will be split between their two POVs.**

 **Also this goes off of new lore. There is no League here or ISM or Summoners. This is just Runeterra on the brink. And trust me when I say it's on the brink.**

 **Also, unlike the Darkest Knight, our Guardian here is going to have a lot more trouble in terms of power. Ahri is proof enough of that, though he was holding back, her sheer prowess with Magic and energy allowed her to fight him almost evenly plus he's susceptible to magic like he is to darkness and light. And Ahri is not the most powerful being in Runeterra. Not even close. Needless to say our Guardian is in for a rough ride.**

 **Anyway, take care! God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	2. Chapter 1: Soup and Names

**The Fox and the Guardian**

 **Part I: War for Demacia**

 **Chapter 1: Soup and Names**

* * *

When my eyes opened, the pounding in my head instantly greeting me, I was confused to find a ceiling of rock above me.

I groaned and sat up, carefully rubbing my temple to ease the pain.

 _ **Andy, you're up!**_

 _Morning Kait… what happened?_

I looked around, and tensed as my eyes landed on the form of the wolf eared woman.

She was sitting on a large boulder quite a distance from me, her golden eyes glowing in the shadows as she watched me.

The moon shone through the opening next to her, the pale light contrasting the bright fire in a dance of shadow and flickering light.

Her attire was still the same, and fortunately my armor was still on; obviously she didn't Rob me or try to kill me in my sleep. Thank the light.

But what confused me was the worn blanket draped over me and the soft fire crackling about halfway between us.

 _ **Well, uh, she kinda dragged you here. But I'm thinking she's actually nice! I mean, she could've just left you out in the forest.**_

It was a fair point.

But confusion still swept through me and I noticed a mattress, an oil lamp, and a small nightstand.

All in a cave…

Well. Not the weirdest thing I've seen.

 _ **Also… Andy, there's no Comms system. No transmat zone. No light. Not even darkness.**_

 _Wait what!_

 _ **None of it and I-**_

"I…"

The woman's voice caught my ear and I glanced at her, Kaits voice stopping short.

No light was a problem, but I needed to address the more present issue.

Her knees were pulled up against her chest, arms wrapped around them and chin rested on top as she watched me.

Nine tails twitched lazily at her sides.

"What's your name?" She asked, her voice soft and sweet.

I blinked.

It… well, my memories we're still fresh, and I remembered the fight rather clearly. She was harsh and volatile, clearly capable of protecting herself.

But her voice…

It seemed guilty, or pleasing even.

I narrowed my eyes, what was she up to?

"Names Andres. Friends call me Andy."

She nodded gently, her bangs falling over her face softly. Golden eyes kept on my face.

"Unique." She replied.

"Yours?"

She hesitated, biting her lip as she contempl- "Ahri."

"Huh," I nodded, "nice name."

She hmphed, though amusement plagued her eyes.

I groaned, stretching my limbs as I made to stand, but my eye caught her tense, tails and arms tensing as if she even as expecting me to attack her.

In an instant she changed from a curious woman to a coiled up beast ready to strike.

I raised my hands slowly, palms open and facing her, "it's fine. Just standing."

A breath shuddered through her and she nodded softly.

I stood, my joints cracking as I did, and I felt the distinct lack of my hand canon. Or my blades.

I glanced at her but she kept her eyes on mine.

Where my weapons we're gathered.

She cringed as she noticed my gaze and opened her mouth, "wasn't sure if you weren't a hunter. Last person to attack me… well, she wanted my tails."

I frowned, "I don't want your tails."

"I know, I figured that out when I woke up. If you did you would've tried harder."

I tilted my head, both impressed and curious as to how the woman knew I was holding back in our little tussle.

"How'd you know?"

She smiled meekly, "I'm observant," then she sighed, "plus, the magic around you wasn't agitated. You don't want to fight but..."

I sighed and smiled kindly, "you kinda attacked me."

She blinked this time her eyes flashing with golden power before calming.

Golden eyes looked to the ground at my feet, "I'm sorry. It… I didn't… accident, I just..."

Something in her voice cracked, and I huffed, taking a step closer before speaking, "hey it's fine. Besides, no harm done right? I'm in one piece see!"

I flexed one arm and did my best impression of the smoulder look.

Her eyes landed on me, an eyebrow raising as she smirked lightly.

I grinned and continued, "plus, you got a nice cozy cave! Nothing better to wake up too!"

Her smile turned to a grin, her two fluffy ears perking up and her tails twisting happily as she replied, "I um… I don't have much food… but, I made that for you in case…"

She nodded her head once to somewhere behind me.

I turned, only now noticing the pot that had been set behind my resting place.

It hovered over hot coals, a few steel prongs and legs holding it up.

Tow bowls sat next to it.

I smiled and looked back at her, "thank you but-"

 _ **Take it! Girls obviously trying to say sorry you meanie!**_

 _You're a child._

 _ **But you love me!**_

Her ears lowered just an inch.

 _Debatable._

"-but I'm starving!" I grinned.

Calmly I made my way over, and snagged a bowl before looking into the pot and seeing not only a simple metal ladle with a wooden handle, but a few pieces of what looked like chicken and lettuce.

Simple broth for a simple wolf lady.

I took the ladle and served myself some, glancing back to see the woman now off her boulder and watching me with genuine curiosity.

Though she was still a good twenty feet from me.

I grabbed the second bowl and filled it anyway, careful to carry mine in the crook of my arm.

I held out the second bowl after filling it, careful to extend my arm to it's full length as I offered it out to her.

The woman watched me carefully, tails twitching in either excitement or nervousness.

I wasn't sure.

Still, I hoped she took it.

It was a peace offering so to speak. She didn't seem evil, definitely not a pawn of the darkness, and hell if I'm being honest… well the fight was her fault mainly but she seemed to genuinely be trying to make up for it!

Sue me. I'm not an asshole, and she wasn't actively trying to kill me so screw it!

Might as well make a friend in… uh.

 _Kait, where are we?_

 _ **Honestly, I don't know. No Comms, not sat pictures. Nothing. I couldn't even tell you what time it is without seeing where the sun or moon is. All my functions are out of whack.**_

 _So… what you're saying… is we're fucked?_

 _ **Maybe? Kinda scary though… it's just us…**_

 _Hey I got you. I've never let you down before!_

My attention was drawn to the woman as she stepped forward, eyes glued to mine, tails swaying slowly.

In a sense… she reminded me of a kid. A shy kid, who's only knowledge of strangers was based off few experiences and observation from a distance.

On the other hand, she painted me as a wary survivor who'd seen and been through too much.

The truth was probably somewhere in the middle.

She continued towards me, Kait filling my mind with apprehension the closer she got.

Sometimes the link between a Guardian and their ghost was annoying. Too much shared feelings.

The black haired woman snagged the bowl from my hand, quick to take a few steps away from me, watching for any sudden moves.

When none came, and I simply sat down and began my meal, the woman finally relaxed.

She took a seat a dozen or so feet from me, careful to keep an eye on me as she ate.

 _Paranoid much._

 _ **We attacked her. She probably has trust issues too, look at the poor thing.**_

 _But she's fine!_

 _ **No wonder you're single.**_

 _What the hell does that have to do with it anything?!_

The silence as we ate was… uncomfortable to say the least.

I'm used to eating with Guardians, grand warriors who are loud and boisterous. Annoying to an extent with all their tales of glory. Or downright depressing in the case of those like Eris Morn.

But nothing like this… an awkward meal between you and the person you literally just fought.

It was something though. More than any other enemy had done for me.

If you could even call her an enemy.

The broth was a welcome boon to my predicament, chicken dissolving in my mouth and the broth itself warming me as it traveled downward.

It was satisfying, little spice or seasoning, but simple and warm.

A good meal, especially considering we were in a cave.

And… well, from the looks of it… this girl probably lived here.

"So," I asked, clearing my throat as her eyes narrowed cautiously, "if it's not a touchy subject, what exactly did you do to me?"

She went wide eyed, tails freezing, and for a moment I feared she might tell us to leave.

But she calmed suddenly and closed her eyes.

Her voice was soft once more as she answered, "I can… sense the essence of those around me. Yours is… intoxicating."

 _ **Did she just call you hot?**_

 _Not sure?_

"I…-" she gulped, "I'm sorry. I just… I just acted, I didn't mean to hurt you."

I chuckled, an action that she quickly noticed and once more narrowed her gaze at me.

"Hey it's fine. Been in enough fights myself, so hey don't worry about it. You didn't kill me so no worries. Plus you gave me soup." I raised the empty to bowl with a grin.

Her lips twitched with a smile, before she shook her head, "thank you."

I shrugged, "don't worry about it."

She nodded.

 _ **I've scanned the atmosphere but I… it's different from earths. No light, no darkness either. Completely void of any of it. Like… Andy we're on another world.**_

 _Great, figured as much… but… how did we end up here?_

 _ **I'm not sure. I can't remember hardly anything from our last mission. But it was on Venus.**_

 _Five bucks says it cause of the Vex. Damn robots._

The woman sighed and stood abruptly, something having caught her attention as she walked towards the front of the cave where one could barely make out her silhouette.

I raised an eyebrow and I saw her wrap her arms around herself.

There was… a glow about her.

 _ **This girl's got some obvious issues.**_

 _True… kinda feel bad not helping her at least. After all she did kinda take us in. Even if it was out of guilt._

 _ **Then talk to her you dolt.**_

I huffed and stood, leaving my bowl next to my spot and started towards her.

Her tails flicked to the side, an ear turning towards me as she tensed.

"So, where exactly are we?" I asked, careful not to reveal my exact dilemma as well as stopping at least ten feet away from her.

She relaxed when I did stop and replied, "Ionia."

"Ionia? Huh." I muttered. Well, at least this place had a name.

"Where are you from?" She asked, turning to face me with obvious curiosity.

"Earth."

She raised an eyebrow, "boring name…"

I chuckled, "you're not wrong."

She looked at me with a tilted head, the edges of her ears folding down.

I waited for her to speak, but instead she just watched me.

A strange sensation, one of unease came over me. I felt vulnerable without my helmet.

 _ **I can materialize it for you if you want.**_

 _It's fine._

I shifted on one foot, my eyes glancing over to my weapons still laying near the boulder far to my right.

When I looked back at her she was staring at me with eyes twinkling I'm both curiosity and fear, "i've never seen armor like yours before. Or weapons like that."

"Ah," I nodded, "well, they were… custom made."

She simply blink so I replied in turn, "I've never seen a wolf girl before."

"Fox and im a Vastayan, not a fox girl," she muttered with slight disdain.

 _ **What's a Vastayan?**_

 _You're literally the super computer here… if anyone would know it would be you Kait!_

I raised my hands, "sorry, I'm not all that familiar with this country."

She shook her head, "it's okay and.." then smiled sadly, "I am sorry for attacking you… I'm… an-and for being a bad host… I-Im..."

Her words died out, pain lacing her eyes as she looked away and back out to the moonlight and the trees beyond.

I huffed and smirked, taking a few steps to stand next to her as I crossed my arms and looked to the stars.

The view was breathtaking from her cave.

It was angled on the foot of a mountain, above the treeline, and just high enough to see the flickering lights of what must've been a town in the distance.

But the view; stars high in the sky, purple and blue swirls of the Galaxy above us like a painting, dark clouds hanging in the distance from the storm earlier. A large moon in the sky and a forest of dark but obviously plentiful trees.

The air was fresher here, cool and damp with a calmness to it.

Still, her apparent guilt tinted the mood, so I replied with a honest smile, "don't worry about that fight.. Honestly. I don't hold grudges okay?"

She nodded somberly and I continued, "plus you're a great host! Last person's house I went too they tried to blow me up with a lot of explosives.."

Her eyes went wide.

 _ **Are… do you mean that mission with the Cabal on Mars?**_

 _Well yeah! We were literally on their ship and they tried to blow us up. I figured it counts right?_

 **The thought does! Look at you being all sweet.**

 _What are you my mother?_

"How did-"

I shook my head, "long story short, I blew up their house and well… we're definitely not friends after that. Haha, but hey, you gave me soup and a warm place to sleep," I nodded back to the cave.

"That counts as a great host to me, especially since we just met lady Ahri." I grinned with the use of her, trying my best to make light of the situation.

She rolled her eyes before flinching at her own reaction.

Instantly her tense mood returned and she looked back to the moon.

 _Damn. Girls really got trust issues._

 _ **She lives in a cave Andy. That should've been your first hint.**_

 _Fair point._

Then her voice picked up once more, "so why are you in Ionia?"

I blinked, "what?"

She shifted again, the moonlight from the caves entrance bathing her in the ethereal glow, golden eyes glimmering. "You're not Ionian. Most foreigners don't come here for no reason."

A hint of accusation filled her voice.

Man this girl was hard to read. First she's friendly, then she's feisty and untrusting.

What next? She's gonna try and eat my soul? Ha.

I rolled my eyes, but sighed and replied, "not here for any real reason. Passing through mainly."

Wasn't untrue. But I don't think telling this girl I'm from another dimension is gonna slide. Like, who would believe me? Aside from another guardian obviously.

She hummed something before glancing at me, "the nearest town is only a days walk from here. You're free to stay the night if you want."

I chuckled with a curt nod. It was a nice gesture, but I'd rather sleep on my ship and see if-

 _ **Andy, when I said we're not on Earth… that also means we have another teensy problem…**_

 _Kait…_

 _ **We have no ship or sparrow. And we only have the guns that were on you…**_

 _Do you ever have good news?_

 _ **I still have my back pink and blue shell!**_

 _I hate you._

I pushed aside my connection with Kait and looked to the moon.

"That would great. Thank you."

She smiled softly and replied, "the least I can do… you're weapons though umm…"

I waved it off.

"Keep them if it makes you feel better. I'm not gonna attack you unless you attack me so we should be square. Right?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

She nodded to me, tails happily swaying behind her.

Huh. Easy to read if I just watch the tails.

With a mighty huff, tension seeping from my shoulders now that it was clear we weren't gonna kill each other, I sat down at the edge of the cave.

"So, tell me about Ionia. This is my first time after all."

She smiled.

* * *

Ahri watched as the strange human called Andres, bid her goodnight and returned to his spot in the cave.

Their discussions of Ionia had gone for a while, and though the stars were still high, she could hear the creatures in the forest beginning to stir.

Dawn was coming.

And yet her heart raged with emotion.

This… guardian. This man was an interesting fellow.

His essence was unlike any she'd ever crossed, and even though she had tried to drain him, he simply waved it off as a simple 'tussle'. The fool had no idea what she'd almost done to him.

Yet, she could vividly remember how his essence was simply… simply too powerful to devour. As if his soul and power we're too pure.

She never encountered that before.

It'd always been easy. Even with the shopkeeper who tried to take her tail.

Even paralyzed, a simple look had allowed her to control and steal the shopkeepers life essence.

The fact he was so resilient…

It felt comforting.

Finally, someone that she didn't have to fear about draining.

Someone who could survive her.

Her eyes widened a hair as she looked back at the moon, though her attention wasn't on the sky.

It was a simple realization.

She couldn't drain him. He was in no danger from her.

He was… safe. Which meant she had nothing to fear.

She didn't have to fear draining him. Unlike… unlike the painter.

Her mind ached as the memories struggled to make sense, the vision blurry.

Damn the gardens for stealing _him_ from her.

She should've been stronger…

With a shake of her head she pushed the thoughts away.

It was a blessing he was so unnatural. His scent spoke of stranger lands, but nothing that he did spoke of unfavorable intentions.

Hmm.

Maybe tomorrow she could journey with him to show him to the town.

It was nice to have company for once.

It got lonely being the demon of the forests.

* * *

 **A/N So here's chapter 2. Not much action but a bit of interaction between Ahri and our Guardian.**

 **In case you haven't read Ahris lore she's not the most… sociable person. She's done a lot of bad in her past, and well, I tried to portray how she has a lot of regret and guilt here. Hence her trying to help the Guardian after fighting him.**

 **Yes the Guardian was holding back, but I'll tell you now he's a lot more powerful than Nate from the Darkest Knight. One reason being their are character in league far beyond anything in Overwatch, and also hes, if you can't tell, super nice and almost naive. Plus he's not as skilled, in case the fight with Ahri didn't show case that well enough. Where Nate is a pinpoint shot and swordsman prodigy, Andy here… is not. Hence his failure to even wound Ahri, though Ahri is no slouch of her own. We'll see more of that later.**

 **Also, no Guardians are not immune to mental attacks. That's proven when Eris Morn is driven insane in canon by the voices in the darkness. And even then that wasn't true mental manipulation. At least as far as I know, forgive me if I'm wrong. But as I see it, a natural powerhouse like Ahri is gonna blow through any Guardians mental defences with her own power. She's a mastermind manipulator mind you. Though she's not evil.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. God bless!**

 **Next chapter will be next Saturday, the 26th.**

 **-metal4k**


	3. Chapter 2: Kamikaze

**The Fox and the Guardian**

 **Part I: the War for Demacia**

 **Chapter 2: Kamikaze**

* * *

 _A woman._

 _Pale of skin, pretty blue eyes and a scream that pierced the very essence of the world._

 _Yet golden eyes filled with delight as her essence was drained, the light of her eyes fading as the demon of the forest drank it's fill._

 _A man. Broken heart._

 _His essence was intoxicating and lovely, and the satisfaction of death only enthralled the demon, who's tails wrapped around him in an almost loving embrace._

 _Then… a family. Two daughters, and a son._

 _They cried as their parents, enthralled and in love with a beautiful demon, simply smiled as their very life was stolen from them._

 _As the demon caressed their heads as if she was holding a lover…_

 _Then flaming Golden eyes turned to the children._

 _Their cries stopped._

 _The demon smiled._

Ahri's eyes shot open, terrified breaths leaving her in gasps.

Her heart pounded in heart chest, her very chest twitching with anxiety and fear.

Hands squeezed her arms, the warmth reminding her that she was awake now and her tails curled up to cover her face.

She shut her eyes.

It wasn't her. Not her.

She had to remember that. It… it was the demon of the woods. Not Ahri.

 _Not me._

And she repeated the words over and over, tails gently swaying back and forth, comforting her the slightest amount.

Still, the words… the mantra she had developed over the years, managed to stifle the dreams.

They faded and her breathing finally slowed. Her chest still twitched and her hands felt cold, but… her breathing was slowing.

That's what counted.

She wasn't…

She….

"Morning," the voice broker her thoughts, grinding her mind to a halt as she opened her eyes and looked up.

The man, Andres… stood across from her, his hands occupied with what looked like cooked meat.

"Want some?"

She blinked and noticed his outstretched hand holding a spit with a freshly cooked and skinned squirrel.

Golden eyes scanned the meal for a moment before she looked back at the man and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled kindly, "I swear it doesn't bite."

She gulped.

One hand stretched out, tails coiled and ready, and she snatched the spit from his hand careful to watch his movements.

He didn't do anything aside from sit back, his armor bright from the sun glowing behind him, and continue his own meal.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

Had he really woken up before her and gone hunting?

She looked at the meal in her hands.

And he still offered her some?

She huffed. Humans were indeed strange creatures, but at least he was civil.

Plus, she couldn't just let the meat go to waste.

So with vigor, she sank her teeth in the tender flesh, relishing in the sweetness of it.

It reminded her of her childhood. Of the days hunting in the woods, but raw meat had nothing on the flavor of cooked food.

To add on to that, he man knew how to cook a squirrel. It was soft, somehow… but the meat was little and once she was finished she wanted more.

It was almost as satisfying as essence.

Good enough for her.

She put the spit on the ground careful to wipe her own face of any residue.

"So, which way is the town?"

She blinked as the man's eyes landed on her, his helmet now under an arm as he stood.

He was leaving. Already.

Her face stood still, but her heart plummeted. It had been… months, months since she last really spoke with a person.

And the last person had tried to poison her and cut off a tail.

Then before that was the Witch in the garden. Where her memories of the painter were stolen from her.

She looked the man up.

He was calm and looking out to the cave, eyes locked onto the glorious light from the sun shining above the trees.

But he was…. Nice. Nice enough she felt that should at least accompany him to the town.

The lease she could do after trying to drain his life...

Obviously taking her momentary silence as a response, he spoke up, "I could just start walk, but I honestly have no idea where I'm going."

She smirked, the very edge of her lips turning up in amusement.

He turned to her an eyebrow raised with a smile, "so is that a yes?"

She shook her head, and stood, tails fanning out and stretching, "I can take you. The forest can be treacherous."

"I think I'll be fine in a forest." He laughed warmly, though he didn't make to move out on his own.

She didn't reply, and instead stretches out her arms, pushing up to her tiptoes to extend her calves.

A yawn escaped her and she blinked away the last remnants of her dreams and sleep before walking further into the cave.

She could feel the man's eyes on her, though it lacked the desire or anger from most stares she received. She could tell he was simply curious.

A small boulder sat in the back of the cave, covered by layers of shadow that neither the light of the sun nor fire reached, but was still within eyesight. She placed her hands on the rock and pushed it aside,, revealing a small crack in the wall.

Two paintings sat inside, three books; all worn and old, and a small jar filled with a dozen or so coins of gold and silver. Then at the bottom of it all a small sack with a single arm strap.

With a quick flourish of her tails, careful to cover herself from the man's prying eyes; or specifically to keep him from seeing the paintings, she snagged the bag and five golden coins.

Her eyes avoided the colors of the paintings. It hurt too much to even look at.

Though she hadn't planned on going to the town even three days ago, she figured a few more slabs of cured meat and new lantern would be of use with winter around the corner.

Without a break in her movement she stood and pushed the boulder back into place, careful to ensure that it didn't reveal any hint of the crack in her wall.

Many people may not venture this far north, but you could never be to careful.

She turned around and swung the sack over her shoulder before starting forward, passing the man and stepping out beyond the cave.

The sun warmed her skin and brought not but a simple smile to her face. Her ears twitched as the chattering of birds and woodland beasts greeted her.

The boot fall of the man echoed out form next to her and she spared him a small glance, watching as his helmet formed from swirls of light onto his head.

A plate of glass turned to face her, the armored man tilting his head as he once more spoke, "which way we headed?"

She nodded north, and the man's head turned towards the forest.

"Two days walk south from here. Watch your steps."

With that she stepped down onto the small path headed down the mountains footside from her cave and into the forest, tails lazily swaying as she walked.

The Guardians steps weren't very soft and where as she was near silent moving, it made her cringe hearing how loud and clumsy his footwork was.

"So not to be rude, but why do you live all the way out here?" The man asked, not a hint of malice in his voice.

She frowned and glared back at him, "that is rude. Did you never learn manners?"

Though his face was hidden and he carried the weapon from the day before; a long metallic thing with a tube on its top, his body language betrayed him as he visibly tensed and cringed before replying, "sorry, wasn't thinking. Just trying to pass the time."

She resisted the urge of rolling her eyes, but replied either way, "humans talk too much."

"Hey, that's rude! I prefer to think of it as, verbal expression that is necessary to create valuable relationships."

She raised an eyebrow and looked back at him.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm just speaking the truth!"

Now she did roll her eyes.

How this was the same man from the night before she didn't know.

"Anyway, okay, so obviously I'm not from around here…"

 _Obviously…_ the fox thought.

"-but, I have to ask, what exactly are you? Not that I mind, you're super nice! Just… I've never seen someone like you."

Someone… not something.

Now that earned points, plus his voice lacked fear or resentment, meaning he wasn't a human purist.

 _That,_ was a good thing.

She shook her head, "you've never been to Ionia correct?"

"Never," he replied as he walked up next to her, "though the hospitality's great so far."

The cheeky, ass kissing grin was visible even through the helmet and she had to resist the remark building in her mind.

Still, it was rude not to reply, so she said, "well, Vastayan. That's what I am."

He nodded, though she felt he wanted to ask more, yet he didn't.

So he did have manners.

"So are Vastayan native to Ionia?" He then asked as she stepped over a fallen log, the man following her lead.

Their conversation the night before crossed her mind. They had spoken of Ionia, more of it's history with the war against Noxus. They hadn't spoken of the Vastayan.

Hmm… he was probably more confident in asking now that they weren't trying to kill each other.

She nodded, "yes. Though, not all care for us."

"That's no fun. But hey, you seem to be doing well for yourself!"

With a sigh she replied, "very well."

He didn't reply, and content with the silence, she continued onward.

The forest was warm, the leaves falling in brilliant colors of gold, orange and brown as they walked.

The birds chirped, the squirrels ran amok and the magic flowed freely throughout the land.

She could felt it like a pulse beneath the ground, and though the Guardians boots were heavy, the animals did not fear him.

Whether it was his essence they could sense, or her presence that calmed them she didn't know.

The terrain was rugged, but it lost its rocky paths only an hour from the mountains foot.

A stream grew from a small trickle, to a flowing river, and she followed it, watching the fish swim happily.

The ground was wet, and the air cool, and Ahri smiled at the sun.

"So question, how come we're following the river?"

She glanced back at the Guardian, who had removed his helmet and was holding it under his arm, "the river leads to the town, easiest path there, plus Bandits about it."

"Why?"

She shrugged, "the demon of the woods hunts near here."

"Demon of the woods?" He raised an eyebrow, amusement plaguing his face.

She rolled her eyes, "it's just rumors. No one really knows."

Rumors… that's all it was.

"Well, even if there is a demon," he stated, and she turned away intent just on listening to him speak as she walked, "I've got your back. Guardians gotta protect people after all. Kinda in the job description."

"Job?" She asked, carefully hopping onto and over a particularly large boulder, her tails fanning out as if to slow her decent.

A flash of light and the man blinked into existence a top the boulder jumping down without breaking a sweat, "yeah. Kinda a job in a way, though it's more… personal back home."

"Hmm." She nodded.

"So, what do you do? Like… um, do you have a job?"

Once more she found herself biting back a retort then replied, "I sell herbs to the village when I can. Herbs and hard to get flowers, ones too dangerous for anyone to reach without a guide."

That and guard the forest and it's town from Invaders and bandits. Slaughtering those who would do harm without hesitation. But that probably wasn't what he wanted to hear.

It wasn't very polite.

"Sounds relaxing. Seems like you make… decent money!"

She shrugged.

"It's enough."

He nodded, his cape swirling behind him as he stepped before her, walking backwards as he continued, "any boyfriend?"

She stopped in her tracks, blinking with mouth slightly agape, "excuse me?"

He stopped, looking genuinely confused, "what? Did I say something wrong? Just trying to make small talk! I swear!"

She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing, "its fine. Just… I'd rather not talk about that."

"Gotcha. It's complicated, that happens. Had a girl back home once where-"

"It's…" she interrupted, placing a hand on his chest to silence him, "it's not that. He's… not around anymore."

Her ears flattened, but her eyes and voice were filled with anger, and fire.

She glared into his eyes, golden flames circling her eyes.

His own widened. Now he got it.

He silently nodded, and she marched past him, content on leaving him with silence.

The man was stupid.

Who did he think he-

"Whoa!" A hand snagged her arm, yanking her back and she turned ready to peel the man's hand off with soul fire.

He raised his hands the moment she was back, and pointed past her, "just keeping you from falling."

Annoyed, she simply growled as he turned around, "what are you…"

Her words turned to ash in her mouth.

The land… what had happened?

It was black. The life was gone from it, the color gone and… as if everything was ask and death. Nothing stirred here, not even the wind, and the water from the river simply flowed by this lifeless grave.

And before her, the land was torn, jagged rips in the earth at least ten feet deep circling the blackened land.

The animals.

Her ears perked, but nothing made a sound. They had fled, or died… neither was comforting.

What had happened?

"So…" the Guardian walked up next to her, "guessing by your reaction, this isn't a normal thing."

She didn't really and instead stepped forward, bounding over the small cavern and landing on the blackened earth.

Immediately she felt the… the sheer emptiness of the land. As if the magic had turned sour and cold, and the life had simply vanished from this place.

She grit her teeth.

What dared to do such a thing to her woods?

To her home.

Golden eyes flashed with fire. And-

"Whoa what're you? Kinda cute!"

She blinked, following the voice of the Guardian who was a few dozen feet from her staring down at something that was in another makeshift cavern.

Curiosity filled her, and she leapt over to him, careful to ensure her traveling sack was still secured over her shoulder.

She landed, and carefully stepped up next to him, and followed his eyes to…

"What is that?"

It was repulsive.

Green, and small. It's mouth was massive, and far to large for its body. It's eyes… were similar, large and glowing.

Two legs sprouted from the bottom of it's stump like body and it stared up at then with hungry eyes.

Still… it was gross.

A flash of light and the Guardian was standing in the ditch with it, scooping it up as if it was a pet.

"Look at you! So ugly your cute!" He chuckled lifting the creature as it panted like a dog, it's eyes lazily flicking back and forth between them.

She grimaced at it, it's smell filling her nose and causing her ears to flatten once more.

"Let's keep him." The Guardian laughed.

She raised an eyebrow and-

 _Blergh!_

Bile flew from its mouth landing on the Guardian and instantly covering his arm.

The smell…

Acid.

Her eyes went wide.

"Andres!"

* * *

"It spit on me!" I blinked backwards, my shields blaring as they drained at an alarming rate.

 _ **Into the river! The composition of the acid suggests water in such a large quantities should be enough to neutralize the agents!**_

"It's on my helmet! God it smells!"

 _ **I think it's this things stomach acids! Oh ew, I think there's squirrel in it!**_

My stomach twisted at the thought but I blinked backwards once more as the frightened shouts of Ahri filled the air. There was a roar and growl, then I heard the crackle of fire.

"Where's the river!"

 _ **Twenty paces to your left!**_

"Left!" Ahri gasped, the sound of her grunts signaling she was engaging with creature. A few growls and the flash of bright light that bypassed the goo covering my visor signaled my hypothesis was true.

None the less, I followed hers and Kait's instructions and leapt to the left, teleporting mid air as I went head first for the river and-

 _Crack!_

"Oh fuck me!" I roared in pain, my head and body having bounced off the ground and to a hard stop, "you said left!"

Ahri failed to responded, more flashes of light and grunts filling the air as I struggled to stand, my vision and visor blinded by the goo.

 _ **Twenty paces, you went eighteen!**_

 _Kait, I will dismember you and sell you as a fancy lantern for gold!_

Still I moved without hesitation and once more dove forward, this time feeling as I hit moving water and was greeting almost instantly with a steaming hiss as the goo was washed off my visor and neutralized.

I flipped and turned in the current, kicking my legs as water rushed by me and pushed me down stream. The moment light was above me I activated my boosters and launched myself upward and out of the water.

Black land greeted me and I quickly blinked back onto shore, landing with a wet thud before looking for Ahri and the little bugger that had spit on me.

They weren't hard to find.

The woman was dashing backwards, fire leaping from her tails towards the little bugger, who was frighteningly fast, and somehow dodging her fire with speed that put me to shame.

It leapt at her, and she grit her teeth, dashing to the side as an open mouth and razor sharp teeth sank into the ground of where she had been.

It was impressive of the little guy to give her this much trouble considering I knew she'd probably vaporize him if she could hit him. It spoke of his natural speed and aggressiveness that she was on the back foot.

Well, I should help.

Arc raced down my arms as I watched the bugger charge at her again, manic gnashing of teeth and a partly adorable look on its face as it hobbled at her. She hissed, firing a bolt of pure energy at the thing, which somehow leapt over the bolt and that's when I moved.

A blink, a teleportation faster than the speed of light lobbed me straight between the two, but my knife pulsing with arc was right in the buggers face.

Its eyes went wide and I smirked as its teeth latched onto the metal. But I wasn't fazed as acid leaked from its mouth.

Arc blasted forth from me, the things eyes going wide before they popped and the monster fell to the earth in a heap of charred flesh.

I grinned as I flipped my blade and slipped it back into its sheath on my thigh.

"Easy." I turned to the woman who nodded to me with a smile.

"Thank you, though I've never seen a beast like that before." She muttered, her brow furrowing.

I looked around at the blackened land, "Maybe it was attracted to the land being destroyed? It acted like a predator so maybe its territory was being invaded by… whatever did this and it came to investigate."

She nodded, a hand coming up to her chin as her shoulder relaxed, "maybe but- look out!"

I spun and found the little shit flying back at me, its skin blackened and eyes gone, but now it was glowing and leaking goo and-

 **Boom!**

 _Darkness._

 _What._

 _The._

 _Fuck._

 _I'm dead. Again. Twice in two days._

 _This planet already has it out for me. Hell, I've been a Guardian for six months! Six months and I've died twice in that whole time! Two days here and I've already doubled that…_

 _Stupid Ionia!_

 _Then suddenly light and-_

"God dang it," I huffed, landing on my feet as light particles filtered off me, Kait floating next to me with twirling parts that seemed amused, "that thing literally kamikazee me."

"You're… alive?"

I turned.

Ahri was staring at me, eyes wide and ears flattened in confusion. Her tails were frozen in confusion.

I chuckled lightly as my helmet disappeared and I grinned.

"Funny story, I'm kinda immortal!"

A glare came my way, but she simply sighed and replied, "you are the strangest human I've ever met."

"But also the coolest."

I saw amusement flash in her eyes before she crushed it and rolled her eyes, "indeed," but the moment was short lived as she turned around and looked back at the land, "but that doesn't solve what is happening to the land, to _my_ land."

I huffed, feeling the irritation in her voice and looked past her.

I narrowed my eyes as I saw the blackened land continued south of us, but away from the river.

"Do you see how it leads south?"

She looked up and I saw life return to her tails as they swayed back and forth with curiosity, "I do… maybe a mage…"

"A mage?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

She nodded, her eyes going dark and the edges of her tails igniting with fire, "a dark mage. The land… it feels drained of life, of magic. No true mage, even a human one, would do that. Only dark mages would have the ire to do so."

"So dark mages bad." I nodded, "guessing we need to stop that. Don't think this would be good for the town if that happened to it."

"No it wouldn't."

I nodded, "well, we might as well get a move on. This mage isn't gonna stop on their own."

I started forward, following the blackened land of the south when I noticed Ahri wasn't following. I looked back at her, and found her staring at me with narrowed eyes, though they lacked any hostility.

"What?"

"My… land, does not go south. At least not much further…" her voice was confused as if she was really confused about why she should defend a territory that's not hers.

I pursed my lips and stated, "it may not be your _land_ , but this stuff is gonna ruin the town and your land. We can't just let that happen."

"And why should you care?" Her voice wasn't accusing, but littered with fervent curiosity.

I shrugged, "I'm a Guardian. It's my job to protect everyone."

Her eyes widened slightly but a smile grew on her lips. A small, but genuine one that I knew was the first real smile she had ever given me.

"Then let's protect my land, Guardian."

I chuckled.

"Lead the way, Fox girl."

* * *

 **A/N And thats a wrap for this chapter. Sorry, Im two days late.**

 **There's a specific cinematic this ties into so I wonder if anyone will catch it. Ioniua. Corrupted land. Corrupted magic. Should be pretty obvious who the next champion Andy will meet is.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed.**

 **Andy here is very much a young guardian, which is a testament to his lack of skill and his careless nature of fighting. Plus his naivety. Ahri, in lore, is very much kinda a hermit. She doesn't have friends, and has very little interaction with anyone that was the painter she fell in love with and killed on accident mind you, a shopkeeper that poisoned her and tried to cut off her tail, and the garden mage who helped her erased some of the painful memories left of the painter, and the Noxian soldiers she killed protecting a village in her territory. She's a tragic hero in a sense, though also naive in the fact she doesn't understand how humans really work. Shes seen it, and felt the emotions of plenty, but shes never really interacted with many.**

 **Hence her distrust and confusion with such a kind and noble Guardian.**

 **Also yes, that was Kog' Maw. He is dead. In lore he is kinda mindless beast, literally only wanting to eat things like a typical apex predator, and he was investigating why his food source had all but left the area.**

 **Next chapter hopefully next Saturday as well.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. God bless. Follow and review!**

 **-Metal4k**


	4. Chapter 3: the Charmer and the Rebel

**The Fox and the Guardian**

 **Part I: War for Demacia**

 **Chapter 3: the Charmer and the Rebel**

* * *

The land wasn't any better the further south we walked.

Only a few hours had passed since we left the river behind, Ahri growing more visibly uncomfortable the further we drew away from her usual land so to speak, which probably was a factor in her being more brooding and silent the further we got.

Still, she didn't complain or hesitate, which in of itself spoke of strength of will. It was impressive. She had metal. Nice.

But as I scanned the land around us, I felt disheartened by the lack of life. If the forest near Ahri's cave was anything to go by then it should've been teeming with life; with chirping birds, rustling leaves, gusts of light wind and the pitter patter of critters skittering along the forest floor.

Yet, we were met with only silence.

It was… disturbing. The only good thing being that it wasn't my _darkness_. Now that had been a relief in of itself, but of course that didn't stop the fact something was killing the forest.

Annnnddd, Ahri's narrowed eyes and clenched fists did _not_ help the unease in my gut.

I'm rather positive we could deal with whatever we found, I'm a Guardian after all, but… it still left an uneasy feeling in my gut.

But, I couldn't blame Ahri for her anger. It was her forest, her home and had seemed so at ease in it. Then this… darkness took the life from it.

I'd be pissed too if someone had trashed my apartment back at the Tower. Hell, I punched some Guardian named Nate when he-

"Whoever did this…" She suddenly growled, her voice actually mimicking the animalistic nature of her ears and tails, "I'll tear them apart."

That though… was a bit much.

I huffed and steeled my resolve, "It's rather… distasteful," I was careful to choose my words as her eyes landed on me, "but, maybe they don't deserve straight up murder. I mean, what if they don't even know what's happening? What if it's an experiment gone wrong?"

"Then I'll drain them. Let them live in happiness at least till their gone." She hissed, her voice filled with anger and dark intent.

I blinked at that, and my shock must've shown since the girl widened her eyes and looked away, a frown on her face even though the anger was still as present as the sun, albeit lessened by a good margin.

"It could be an accident. People aren't inherently evil, Ahri." I tried once more, careful to duck a low branch.

She sighed deeply, then after a few moments of silence added, " maybe it is an accident. We'll see."

Though she was still visibly upset I could tell she would at least restrain herself. At least violence wasn't going to be her go to now.

That was a win.

I nodded at that, and then added, "People suck sometimes, but sometimes it's also an accident. Heck one time this guy accidently spilled food on me and well, I did punch him for it and we fought, but it didn't mean we fought till the death. It was an accident you know?"

 _ **Andy, I dont think thats a very apt analogy…**_

The fox girl looked at me with raised eyebrows, then quickly rolled her eyes and replied, "I think draining the forest of life is a bit bigger accident than spilling food."

 _ **Told you.**_

 _Hush Kait, I'm trying to be nice._

 _ **Meany.**_

"You're not wrong," I replied, "but the lesson still applies. For all you know the person could very much be trying to save the forest."

"Save the forest?"

I shrugged, "okay that may be a bit of a stretch, but you know what I mean."

She frowned, "I…" her shoulders dropped with a huff, "I think I understand." Her brow was furrowed in frustration as she wrestled with her anger.

I nodded though, content with at least helping her understand that not all people were out for evil. I mean, I may not know much about this… Ionia, but if was anything like back home, then people were probably working together to overcome the greater evil, just like we were working to overcome the darkness in the Last City.

We moved past a particularly thick patch of dead brush, Ahri growling at a tree that tangled one of her tails in its leaves, when light breached the trees before us and we were forced to squint as our eyes adjusted.

Our feet carried us past the light and into a sort of clearing, where only a handful of dead trees shielded us from the elements now.

And… well, of course, maybe someone just built a dark temple oozing of evil intent in the middle of forest and decided to drain it of all life….

Of course.

Cause why not.

Ahri glanced at me and growled, "still seem like an accident?"

"Okay well, I'll admit that it looks rather bad but-"

 _Fweet!_

A whistle broke the air, though it sounded out far closer to the temple than us, and considering we were maybe a football fields length away from it certainly drew both of our eyes and silence.

Movement; a person dressed in all black with red eyes turned towards the woods far closer to the dark temple than us, and as we watched a-

 _Thwack!_

A glowing purple dagger imbedded itself into his chest and before its body could drop a glowing yellow man with no shirt danced- _literally_ danced- forth from the trees and grabbed the body, twirling it with delight.

Instinctively my helmet appeared on me and I grabbed Ahri and pushed her behind a large tree to our left.

Without a word she frowned then followed my gaze as we both looked around the tree and watched as the man dropped the body as more men approached. However, from far behind him, still hidden in the woods that were also hiding us so well, purple daggers flew forth and with whistling crack cut through three more men.

I raised an eyebrow at such accuracy, and Ahri frowned even further.

A woman with… large…. feathered... ears…

Okay weird….

Then again I am traveling with a woman with wolf ears- sorry fox-, and none tails… huh okay maybe her larger ears weren't a big deal.

Well the woman walked out of the brush, dark red dress clinging to a lithe frame as she held out a hand that pulled the dagger back to her, and then said dagger proceeded to disappear right into her palm in the blink of an eye.

The man turned to her, but whatever happened between them I couldn't see as they were too far away.

Still, our- and their- attention was drawn to the six more men that appeared from both the walls of the temple itself and the shadows coating the ground around it.

I felt my hand grip my hand canon, Ahri's tails flicked with fire and then the man of yellow dashed forward. He was elegant in a sense, moving with speed and grace as he easily knocked two men to the ground, purple daggers permanently silencing them as they fell.

Again, impressive accuracy.

Then the man- the woman hanging out behind him- dashed in between the last four men swiped their feet from under them with what looked like a feathered cloak, and then yellow… energy I guess, burst out from him and he leapt into the air.

Defying gravity somehow, the men were thrown up with him.

The woman leapt into the air, and with a twirl, daggers impaled each man, all of them dropping to the ground with a lifeless _thunk_ a second later.

I straightened and felt my tension seep away.

"Huh. They're not bad. Gotta hand credit where it's due I guess."

The fox looked at me with confusion, "credit? What're you-"

The cracking of branches echoed out and we saw four men appear from the trees behind the two.

Ahri growled as the pair separated; the man dashing at the new intruders, and the woman going inside with the calmest gait I'd seen in a while.

"Help her, and find out who she is. They're mine." Ahri growled and with a burst of speed like I'd seen in our fight she dashed towards the four men facing the golden man.

I'll admit her anger was warranted seeing as how these men were… well very much not the nicest looking fellows. Add that to the fact they were obviously guarding the temple and well… Ahri's anger was warranted.

But I had a job, so I dashed forward, using a quick blink and a burst from my boots thrusters to cross the football field within a few seconds.

Grunts and a few inaudible shouts filled the air, informing me of Ahri's intervention, but a quick glance ensured me that she had taken down one assailant while the man dealt with two more.

Satisfied she was in no mortal danger I jumped over a large clump of darkened earth, a small hill more like it and landed in front of the temple.

Dust billowed out from my landing and I gazed at the temple with an ounce of curiosity.

The entrance to the temple was more of a hole guarded by dead vines and leaves, and I drew my side arm as I slipped through the vines with less stealth than a rampaging elephant.

A grand opening lead me into a large room, similar to that of a cathedral, though it was only stone, dead vines, and a floating red ring of crystal that glowed with inhumane power.

But all of those things were details and my eyes were instead drawn to the center of the room where the woman was standing head turned towards the crystal before one of the feathered ears atop her head twitched towards me and she spun to face me, glowing daggers in her hands.

The daggers flew at me instantly, and I blinked to the side, careful to simply avoid them all.

The womans golden eyes widened slightly and she narrowed her gaze.

"Whoa hold on!" I raised my hands, careful to point my side arm up, "I'm not here to fight!"

Her mouth moved to speak but suddenly two gray blades flew at her from behind, her ears twitching once more as she dove out of the way and let the blades sail past her.

I looked for the blades origins and watched as a man stepped out from the shadows, dressed in black and red, with dark metal on his shoulders and forearms.

Red glowing eyes locked onto me.

 _ **Andy, I don't think he's a friendly!**_

 _What gave it away the black clothing or the evil ninja vibe!_

The man moved, carefully avoiding the trio of purple blades sent for him while also sending two disk of metal at me.

Casually I side stepped and raised my weapon firing off two shots at his torso.

Red eyes widened slightly as the bullets made impact but to my surprise the body fell apart in shadow and reformed inches in front of me!

I ducked a blade aimed for my throat, but he capitalized and slammed a knee to my face.

I stumbled back, but shadows once more took hold of him and retreated back- only for purple blades to eviscerate the air where he had been standing.

Shadows slide around the room, and I raised my gun in response, fire rolling off me in waves as I waited.

Movement to my left.

I spun, and watched the strange woman flip under a blade meant for her head, then capitalize on the mans over extension by kicking him in the chest.

He flew up, slamming into the rock wall where he disappeared into shadows once more.

The shifting of rock behind me and I spun, firing as the shadows reformed.

The bullet hit, and the man growled, stumbling back as he launched a blade at me.

I side stepped again, only for shadows to instantly coalesce and slam two blades into my chest!

My feet stumbled back, shields flaring as they dissipated the energy from his blow, before I retaliated with a few haphazard shots from my hand canon.

The body broke into shadows and I grit my teeth.

The woman once more moved into my vision, rolling to her feet with obvious wounds on her side as she stood and looked up.

I followed her gaze up, and saw three versions of our assailant standing on the crystal above; red eyes glaring down at us.

Then, the shadows moved.

Sol power flashed within me and my body ignited as my gun disappeared and the gun of pure light replaced it.

I aimed.

And light flew from my gun, intercepting the shadows, and doing nothing to stop it.

The shadows simply warped around my shot and slammed into me, throwing me to the ground as the light vanished from my body.

Instantly I rolled to the side and back to my feet, sparing a glance at the woman who was also on the ground, barely pulling herself up.

Shadows once again began to coalesce, but this time at the roof of the temple, red eyes peering down at us with malicious intent.

"Leave."

My eyes turned to the woman, her breath heavy as one hand held her side and another glowed purple.

"Leave."

"What're you-"

 _Fwet_!

A purple dagger shot past me towards her hand, then another, and a third from above- and then there were too many to count.

The roof shook as purple daggers pulled out from their place in the walls and roof and soared back to the woman.

Not even the crystal floating above was safe, it's pristine form cracking from the projectiles slamming into and through it.

Whatever this woman had done while I was distracted…

She was gonna bring this whole place down.

On top of us.

But even with the impending doom, my senses flared with danger and I saw the shadow from the roof burst out towards us.

Red eyes polluted it, dozens of the same dark blades aimed for me and her.

My heart raced.

I had to save her.

Without stopping a beat, I spun on my heel and blinked towards the woman.

Light enveloped me and warped reality, throwing me out into the plane of existence right next to her.

Her head instantly turned to me, eyes wide as the glow of her hand grew even brighter.

The hair on my neck stood.

I could almost feel the shadows blades on us, the purple blades getting closer as the storm of them tore the temple to ruin.

My hands grabbed latched onto her outstretched arm. Her face twisted in shock and confusion. I twisted my head towards the entrance.

Blades inches from my face.

Rocks fell on every side.

I ignited Arc energy over my body and forced the power outwards as I blinked once more towards the entrance.

The extra power forced the teleportation to throw us further than normally possible.

It was move I learned a few weeks ago from one of the elder Hunters in the tower. He used it in a spar to thoroughly spank me in a one on one.

And as expected we appeared just outside the entrance, but what wasn't expected was how we both continued flying forward and into the ground face first.

I hit, bouncing off the hard dirt as dust spat up around me, and flipped onto my back with a hard thud.

My cape settled down beside me.

"Ow."

"Andy!" A pair of ears accompanied by dark hair filled my vision.

"Yo." I grinned and my helmet faded as Ahri looked me over, worry etched on her face.

She frowned at me and stood back, pulling me to my feet as she did so.

"Care to explain?" She growled, motioning to the tower of rubble that was once a dark temple.

I opened my mouth to speak only to find a purple dagger suddenly at my throat, an angry woman with yellow eyes, red hair, and pale skin staring up at me.

Ahri's eyes immediately grew hostile, her tails flicking out as magic wrapped around her hands only for a pair of arms to wrap around her and pull her back.

"What the-"

"Relax, she just wants to talk right?" The golden man, taller than me with a slim runners build and broader chest spoke towards the woman.

Ahri snarled, but I shook my head and she froze.

I had no doubt she'd fry them both if they hurt one of us, but I literally just saved this woman! I didn't want her dead!

Said woman narrowed her eyes at me.

I contemplated blinking back and firing off a warning shot so the man would release Ahri but the woman hadn't really tried to kill me yet.

She's was probably just confused.

Still, a dagger to my throat was uncomfortable.

"Okay," I started, "can you drop the dagger?"

"Why were you helping them?"

I blinked. "Helping who?"

"Why poison the land?" She growled, the dagger pushing into my skin.

I flinched slightly, realizing that anymore pressure and she would break skin.

I met Ahri's eyes.

She was pissed. The snarl on her face was one twisted with anger and her eyes glowed violently.

I hardened my gaze, trying to get her to back down, but her tails started to glow.

She would incinerate both of these people if I didn't somehow defuse this.

And this woman was not helping at all.

God it's like everyone here wants to fight me!

"Look, we were not helping that dude and his minions." I explained raising my hands to show I was unarmed.

Her frown only deepend.

I continued, "we came from up North. The dead land was all the way up there and we were looking for the source."

"And why would a human care for the forests?" She hissed, not pushing the dagger any deeper thank the Traveler, but still not relinquishing her hold on it.

"The Northern Forests are my home." Ahri answered for me, "he was assisting me in finding the culprit who dared damage the spirits."

The woman's ears twitched in obvious annoyance, and I watched her hands tighten on the blade.

I hadn't died from a slit throat before.

This was probably gonna suck. Then Ahri would fry these two.

Fuck.

I braced for the blade to rip out my throat, but instead the woman pulled back, her feathered cloak wrapping around her as she turned and looked at Ahri.

"And who are you?" She asked as the golden man released Ahri, who instantly slipped past the two to stand by me.

Her eyes glowed with golden fire but she calmed enough for her tail and hands to harmlessly dissipate the magic she had gathered.

"Ahri."

Red haired woman huffed with a slight nod, "and the human?"

I rolled my eyes. "Andy."

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Aaaannnnddd," the golden man sung as he slung an arm around the short angry woman, "this is Xayah. I'm Rakan. Thank you for pulling her out of that mess." He nodded towards the temple.

"I had it handled." The angry woman known as Xayah growled at him, though it lacked the anger she had when addressing us.

"You're welcome," I answered with a sigh.

It was then that I noticed something.

The grass, blackened and dead began to stand. Color Rose from it's roots, and the trees began to grow once more, leaves sprouting dorm the branches.

Flowers bloomed and the sky itself seemed to brighten all around us.

"What the…" I asked, carefully lifting a foot as a pink flower bloomed underneath me.

"The shadows are gone…"

My eyes turned to Angry wom- Xayah, and I noticed her smiling, an arm wrapped around the golden naked man.

I mean Rakan.

"The shadows?" Ahri asked, her eyes no longer glowing as she knelt and felt the grass.

Her tails slowly swayed and her eyes met mine with a smile.

 _ **The forest really meant a lot to her…**_

 _No kidding. I just thought it was a territory thing._

Xayah nodded, releasing her hold on the taller man and folding her arms as she looked at us, the smile instantly disappearing.

"The shadow acolytes. Led by a man named Zed. Whoever they are… they've been plaguing the southern half of Ionia for months now. Draining the magic and life from the land." She grit her teeth with obvious disgust and I filed a mental note not to bring up shadows with this girl.

Ahri nodded then asked, "this is first time so far north?"

"Yeah," the man replied, "they're expanding it seems. No idea why though."

"Well, that dude's dead now, so we probably won't see them as much anymore" I pointed over my shoulder at the ruined temple, "we did drop a temple on him."

Xayah rolled her eyes at me and walked past me, only after not so gently pushing me aside before replying, "he escaped. Whatever he is hasn't died the last two times we dropped the temple on them. And he has followers, plenty of them."

No manners at all this chick.

I frowned and crossed my arms, "so what you're just being a noble citizen of Ionia and-"

"Ionia can burn for all I care," she spat, head barely tilted so she could spare a patronizing glance back at me, "but the Vastaya don't deserve to have their lands plagued by humans with a grudge. The land should be wild and free."

"What she means," Rakan softly chuckled, carefully stepping between her and myself, "is that humans don't tend to care about these things, and there are those that would willingly turn a blind eye to these shadows if it rid Ionia of us Vastayans."

"Uh huh…" I nodded, though I knew my face was furrowed in confusion.

He chuckled, "she's very outspoken I know, but don't worry about it! She's all bark no bite."

Considering the glowing death daggers that she shot at me…

I'ma call bullshit.

But I smiled still and replied, "well at least we're not the only ones," I sighed as I looked to the tree blooming with new life, "I'll admit though, I've never seen something quite like it."

"Neither have I," Ahri added, her eyes narrowed not at me or Rakan, but at the angry woman named Xayah.

The woman, who was watching us over her shoulder huffed and turned away completely, "then your blind."

"Or you're paranoid."

The tension was electrifying.

Immediately Rakan and I locked eyes, the silent communication going over instantly as we both understood that the two women were close to coming to blows.

"Okay," I calmly drawled out, "how about we settle down for some food? I can cook a mean rabbit if I need."

Rakan nodded along before adding, "plus we should thank them for helping out. Don't want to know what would've happened if this fellow here wasn't there to pull you out of the fire Xay."

She huffed and snapped back, "I had it under control."

"Of course you did, _mieli_."

The words cause Xayah to stiffen, I saw her frown but the tension suddenly seeped from her bones and she calmed enough to look at me.

"Rabbit sounds fine."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Alas, the next chapter. Im terrible at planned releases sorry.**

 **Anyway, Xayah and Rakan have entered the fray now. Hopefully I portrayed them well enough, also Zed made an appearance! Whoo! Now this is actually the pairs cinematic happening here, but Ahris and Andy's interference cause a few things to change. Also remember, Andy is not the most skilled Guardian. He is NOT Nate from the Darkest Knight. He's a powerhouse in raw ability, hence why he's so willing to throw his power around, but he lacks refinement. So someone extremely dangerous and skilled like Zed is a match for him if caught off guard. Even Xayahs speed and accuracy is enough to pull at the problem of Andy not being the most skilled in battle.**

 **Still, rabbit is on the menu now and who knows what'll happen now that Ahri knows who's poisoning their land.**

 **Xayah and Ahri also don't like each other. Ahri is a recluse with few social interactions and takes most things at face value so the Rebels words hit her harder than most. Xayah on the other hand basically hates humans, hence her instant distrust of Andy, and goes as far as calling those who believe in humans 'Naive' or 'traitor', which explains her dislike of Ahri despite her being a Vatayan.**

 **Rakan on the other hand was always the more civil one, and as you can tell worked with Andy to defuse a fight before it began.**

 **It doesn't mean their friends, but the two are more than likely gonna have to play mediator to the two women, simply due to each of their personalities.**

 **Of course, what's Ahri gonna decide now that she knows who's poisoning the land?**

 **Find out next time.**

 **Also there a little Easter egg in this chapter from Xayahs story on the League website.**

 **Review and follow! God bless.**

 **-metal4k**


	5. Chapter 4: Loreston and Steak

**The Fox and the Guardian**

 **Part I: War for Demacia**

 **Chapter 4: Loreston and Steak**

* * *

The sweet smell of cooking meat filled my nose, the very scent causing my stomach to grumble with joy as it envisioned its future of blissful fulfillment.

And as my mouth watered and my stomach grumbled, I wondered how on earth that cooked rabbit smelled so good.

Ahri herself stared at the cooking rabbit with hardly concealed hunger, and the other two of our… Well not new party members so to speak, but our new companions, were simply silent as-

"I'm telling you foxy, dancing is the key to one's soul. More than eyes or heart! Dancing, is life itself." Rakan, the male half of our two new companions, grinned as he pulled the rabbit from the fire.

It was a kind gesture that he cook instead of me, and from the smell I knew it was the better choice. He obviously had a talent with food I didn't.

Still he was friendly and all smiles trying his best to ease the obvious tension between everyone.

Though his break the ice topic was apparently dancing.

Ahri simply rolled her eyes before replying to him, "it seems wasteful."

The man gawked, a fake gasp escaping him that his worse half rolling her own eyes at the man as he spoke, "your words skewer my soul! Hah, but if a dance is done wrong, you're correct that it is beyond wasteful!"

I raised an eyebrow, "and how exactly do you judge if it's wrong?"

His eyes gleamed as he twirled the cooked rabbit, the moody girl flicking her wrist and severing the small beast into fours, then handed each of us one as he continued, "it's a simple thing, you simply watch a pair. If they truly enjoy the moment, then you'll know, and then you'll know ifs it's wrong."

I shrugged and tore into the me even as Ahri voice another concern on what exactly counted as dancing.

Now I'm not some fancy ballet expert or whatever. But, even I knew what a typical dance was. Had the girl really never danced before?

 _ **Andy, she lives in a cave.**_

 _Okay and what about before? Maybe she had dances whenever she grew up._

 _ **Maybe she never learned?**_

 _She could also be bad._

 _ **A girl like her? Have you seen the way she moves in a fight? She'd be the star of the dance floor!**_

I blinked, sparing a glance at Ahru as she rolled her eyes again before replying to Rakan.

Whatever she said was lost on me, but Kait had a point. Maybe she really didn't know how to dance.

Still, I was content to let Rakan try and convince the fox girl that dancing truly was some mystical and magical thing.

"Why are you in Ionia?"

I blinked as moody girl stared me down with amber eyes boiling in fury.

Apparently she was done playing nice. Only took a couple of hours.

I noticed Ahri's and Rakan's voices instantly halt, the tails of the fox stilling and frizzing as Rakan shifted uncomfortably.

He probably knew this was coming, hence his attempts at making amends with us by being so friendly. If only his other half was the same.

"So?" Xayah growled, large ears twitching as a purple glow filled her hand.

She's already threatening you?!

I mean she almost slit my throat after I saved her life. It's probably a miracle it took this long.

I huffed and leaned back, careful to keep my meka on my lap, "I was just visiting."

"And what were you visiting?"

"He was visiting me." Ahri's voice pierced into our conversation, and amber eyes turned to her own.

Golden eyes met amber, and Xayah narrowed her gaze as the daggers in her hand grew slightly bigger.

"And why would a human care to visit a Vastayan?"

I shook my head, "okay well first-"

"And why do you need to know?" Ahri's voice drowned mine out, her tails swaying back and forth in a way that reminded me of a snake ready to strike.

"Because the shadows are spreading north, humans hunt us for sport, and suddenly a strange man with strange armor appears? I highly doubt it's just coincidence."

I crossed my arms, "it's literally coincidence. Nothing else, besides I didn't even know what a Vastayan was till like… Three days ago!"

Amber eyes focused on me, "and besides you're word, you have no way to prove that."

"He does," Ahri hissed, standing up as her tails twitching in aggravation.

"Oh and-"

"He didn't try to take my tails."

The gloomy woman froze and raised an eyebrow at the fox, though if I was honest, I was just as curious as to her statement.

Ahri, bless her soul, gulped and shifted uncomfortably under three gazes, her tails twisting in agitation.

"Someone told me they were valuable. That… They would make a lot of money on the market." her voice grew soft.

My eyes widened.

Was she serious? Had people tried to take her tails before?

 _ **It would explain why she was so scared of us at first. Poor thing…**_

 _No shit…_

"Plus…" my eyes refocused on her and her head shot up, but my heart froze as I noticed the glow in her eyes, "I would know if he meant harm. You for instance, the spirits, the forest, is uneasy around you. Your hands are soaked in blood, and the forest knows you fight for yourself and not it."

Xayah instantly tensed and I felt my hand Canon materialize on my thigh.

"Okay this is getting out of hand," Rakan interrupted with raised hands, his own eyes locked onto Xayah as his honey soaked words continue on, "we didn't mean to assume anything. It's just… Its not often humans are friendly towards our kind."

"I know," Ahri eyes narrowed, "but this one has been nothing but kind."

"This one has a name." I grumbled, but my voice went unheard as Xayah stood and her hand opened, daggers disappearing as she did.

The woman huffed and crossed her arms, "humans are traitors creatures." Her eyes locked onto me. "Give him enough time and he'll betray you, just like all the rest."

I glared at her, "yes because I'm so bad. Just the worst right? Even though you're the one who drew a blade at the human who literally saved your life. Who drew a blade on a fellow Vastayan for nothing more than traveling with me. Yeah I'm really the bad guy aren't I?"

"Don't patronize me," the woman huffed, "humans kill without care, and take what they want. Just look at Zed and his acolytes. They're killing the land just because they can."

"And I'm this Zed?" I gestured to myself and stood up, "am I the one trying to kill the forests? Or you?"

"You could be." She narrowed her gaze.

"Unbelievable." I laughed, throwing up my hands, "you really think I'm some sort of villain don't you?"

There was no reply, though Ahri stood taller and her tails started to glow as she glared at Xayah. Rakan simply sighed and was looking at his other half with what looked like reserved criticism.

"Let's go Rakan." Xayah huffed and spun on her heel, turning away from us as her feathered cloak fluttered.

"Babe," he huffed.

I wanted to nod in good riddance but held my desires in check. No need to be an asshole.

"Lets go. We have a trail to follow." And with that, the woman walked away from us and into the darkened woods, clawed feet as silent as the wind.

Rakan huffed, his eyes never looking back to us as he started after her, "it was nice meeting you two. Just…" he stopped for a moment and ran a hair through his golden hair.

He looked back at us, "forgive her please. She's hasn't had it easy with humans. And this shadow cult hasn't made her opinion any better."

With that, a golden glow wrapped around him and dancer feet carried him into the woods after his gloomy half.

And alas, Ahri and I were alone once more.

The silence was uncomfortable, but not at the same time. It was uncomfortable in the sense that an air of sheer annoyance and frustration surrounded us, but it wasn't uncomfortable because it was aimed at the two figures that had departed into the trees.

Well specifically the one. But semantics.

"At least they gave us food."

"She's wrong right?"

I blinked and turned to the fox.

Her amber eyes were focused on me, and darkness shrouding her face as she shifted awkwardly.

I sighed and nodded, "of course. I told you I'm a Guardian remember?"

"And what's a Guardians job?" She tilted her head, tails swaying under the moonlight.

I 'hmphed' and leaned back, looking to the sky as I did so.

"To protect people from the darkness."

She nodded, "the spirits like you, but they didn't like her."

I shrugged, "well, she wasn't the nicest but Rakan said she had a bad past. It happens."

She stayed silent and from the corner of my eye I saw her follow my lead and look up to the moon.

It gave her a strange glow, and the leaves swayed towards her. The grass fluttered next to her and I doubted she noticed how the moonlight framed her and the air itself seemed to been drawn towards her.

A beautiful sight, yet also wild and untamed.

 _ **Strange… Andy, I can feel your light being… pulled? Yeah, pulled towards her. Weird.**_

I didn't reply and simply nodded, careful to keep my sense aware in case she tried to… well, whatever it was she did before.

But nothing strange invaded my senses and the moment ended as she spun on her heel and- "We should rest. The towns not far but we don't want to try and travel at night. Easy to get lost."

"Its not that bad. We could-"

The look she shot me over her shoulder has me shutting up and raising my hands.

She very much did not want to travel at night.

"All right relax, we'll stay here. I'll keep first watch and you can get some rest yeah?"

She turns away from me, "I'll be back. I need to think."

And with that, she sauntered into the trees like the others, glowing tails fading away moments later as the forest swallowed her.

I blinked.

 _Okay, so I'm confused. What just happened, Kait? Is this a girl thing or an I'm an idiot and just have no ideas what's going on._

 _ **Both. Definitely both.**_

 _Rude…_

* * *

The morning came with bright light and the chirping of birds. It was a sound that brought a smile to my face since not a day ago had I seen this very forest dead and decayed with almost no life whatsoever.

A yawn escaped me as I stood, my arms reaching to the sky as I stretched and my muscles reawakened.

My eyes were drawn to the still form of Ahri, the woman leaned back against a tree with her tails protectively curled around her. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was easy- most likely she fell asleep during her watch.

Knowing she was fine I looked back to the trees around us, carefully watching them to see if maybe our friends from the night before had returned. Of course no one popped out of the trees in some poor idea of a surprise reunion, so I was left to cleaning up the fire pit from last night.

The work was easy, and it only took a few minutes of digging up some dirt and smothering what few members remained to finish the job which left me in a strange predicament.

Ahri was still asleep.

I sat back down, cautiously eyeing her.

I figured waking her was probably the best bet, as we still had ground to cover till we hit the town, but she seemed so at peace I didn't want to disturb her. Plus, waking someone up who doesn't want to be woken up yet was always a gamble.

Especially when they had magical fire powers.

Joy.

 _ **Maybe toss a twig at her?**_

 _On what planet did would that ever be a good idea, kait?_

 _ **I'm just giving you ideas!**_

I rolled my eyes and ignored the bond and my Ghosts continued 'suggestions', instead focusing on what i should do. It was strange after all. I'd been on missions before were I had to stay the night in old abandoned buildings or even the lush jungle of venus, but even with a team it was always business.

This however…

Well it wasn't business, though I'm not entirely sure what exactly we're doing. I mean yeah we're going to the town but… oh hell. I don't even know what to do when I get there! Not like I can ask around for the nearest Guardian!

Dang it.

Movement caught my attention and lazily I glanced over to see Ahri tails twitching violently. Her face was scrunched up, mouth ajar and sweat beginning to run down her forehead.

My heart broke at the sight.

I'd seen it before, in older guardians when they had nightmares of the horrors that awaited them in the darkness. PTSD of a sense. Whatever she had been through obviously haunted her. Maybe it had to do with the whole 'tails' situation. I doubt she'd give them up willing, so more than likely it wasn't a happy story when someone tried to take them.

With a harsh jerk of her head her eyes shot open and her tails frizzled outwards in obvious shock.

Amber eyes glowed and they locked onto me for a moment.

Something akin to unease shot through me as she looked at me.

I'd seen that look too.

The look of a predator.

But it was gone a moment later and the glow in her eyes faded, the girl shaking her head and standing with enough obvious anxiety that even Cayde would've prescribed her meds.

"We should get moving." Her eyes never met mine and once more she looked out to the forest.

I stared at her, raising an eyebrow as I stood, "good morning to you too."

Her ears twisted, the tips flattening partially as she sent a glance my way, "the town is only a few hours out. We should get going, maybe we can find a proper meal there."

"Only a few hours? Huh, well that's good, kinda tired of rabbit." I grinned, shooting her an amused smirk.

Whether or not she noticed she didn't show and only shrugged, instead walking past me again and towards the woods, this time south, perpendicular to where the dark temple had once stood.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

 _ **She's not a morning person.**_

 _No, non-morning people are just grumpy when they wake up cause they don't have coffee. She's more like… anti waking up and talking to people person. Or just anti talking. Damn that angry girl, just making things worse._

 _ **Well at least she hasn't tried to kill you again!**_

I did the mental equivalent of a sigh. _Always a bright side, thanks Kait._

 _ **That's the spirit!**_

I quickly ensured our makeshift camp was dutifully torn down, by which i mean the fire was truly out and that was really it since I also had slept against a tree, and followed after Ahri once more.

Once again chirping birds filled the air and the hum of insects and rustling leaves followed me as I walked after Ahri.

It was heartening and I smiled as the simple beauty of the forest grew on me. If I was honest, I could see why Ahri loved her forest so much. It was a quaint place indeed.

Yet that didn't help the silence between us.

The crunch of my boots and the soft click of her own heels was all the conversation that was shared between us.

A far cry from yesterday, or even the cave.

That angry girl had definitely done a number on Ahri, whatever memories she had brought up were definitely ones the Fox was obviously trying to forget.

Speaking of-

"Watch out." A quick step forward and I grabbed her arm once more, pulling her back from a rather nasty looking branch directly at eye level.

She jumped in my grip, tails even going so far as to spread out completely in surprise, before she looked up with surprise at the branch.

Yeah definitely not a good sign.

She looked back at me and gave me a simple nod before pulling her from my grip and ducking under the branch and continuing on her way.

I sighed.

Man this was going to be a long few hours.

* * *

She hated this. All of it.

The damn vastayan bird who dared make her seem like a fool. Her lover that was far too kind for such a vicious woman. And of course the so called protector traveling with her.

The damned forest had been dying and dead, and now it was alive, and then that little monster from the day before with its bile and acid.

She hated it.

Everytime she left her cave, her woods, something bad happened.

She was drugged for her tails. She almost had her memories of everything she held dear taken. She and the painter had gone to that damn-

No.

Her teeth clenched together.

She would not think of then.

But… what had happened then? What had she done?

It was on the tip of her mind, and she tried so desperately to reach the memory, and fear only plagued her heart as she tried. But she couldn't and so she never knew why she feared the memory.

"Watch out…" the voice was softer than before, reserved and more frustrated.

Of course she ignored its owner, only taking the words and processing them long enough to effectively jump over a large pile of rocks that would've tripped her.

The Guardian behind her followed her lead of course and she continued on without looking back.

That girl… Xayah had been so confident in his betrayal. So confident that he would harm her.

Would he?

He was capable, she knew that. Their fight had all but ensured he was deadly in his own right.

But he wasn't the shopkeeper. He had done nothing but be polite and kind to her, which she of course returned in kind.

The thought left her uneasy either way.

A lingering feeling that kept her senses sharp, and her eyes flickering all around.

After all, the woman had a point. Humans, weren't the most trustworthy of creatures. Just like Vastayans. And she wouldn't put it past the woman's hatred to try something.

But as they walked with branches crunching under their feet or swaying over their heads and birds singing and flying through the blue sky and beaming light of the forest canopy, nothing happened.

They simply kept going without intervention, and Ahri wondered if maybe, just maybe she was worried for nothing.

Minutes turned to hours as they walked, and and Ahri found herself relaxing the closer they got towards their town.

The trees thinged, smoke from chimneys and firepits rose on the horizon, and a road appeared in their sights, clearing through trees and creating a perfectly linear pathway to their destination with pebbles and dirt.

Wheel tracks were carved into the road, and patches of weed grew throughout it all the while a sign made of oak wood stood at the nearest turn of the road pointing southwards towards the smoke.

"Loreston." The Guardian quipped, "nice name."

She smiled softly and gave a curt nod his way before following the edge of the road south.

It was a welcoming sight for her, one that told her people were near and she wasn't alone.

Though she hadn't been alone for a few days now. That was new. She'd never gone into the town with anyone else before. Not even with the painter.

"So considering I'm kinda new to Ionia and all… how far north are we?"

She glanced back at the Guardian, his eyes not on her, but on the sky and the trees, a warrior trying to find his bearings. But considering his lack of success he wasn't the most seasoned explorer at the very least. Warrior yes. Explorer, obviously not so much.

She bit her lip and replied softly, "a few days ride on horseback going north, and you'd hit the ocean. Thats how far north we are."

He whistled and her ears flattened in annoyance before he continued, "so, like, is this the only town here up north? Or are there more?"

She raised and eyebrow at him and he returned a sheepish smile, "sorry I've never been here and If i'm honest I probably would've ended up just getting lost in the forest if I hadn't met you."

Amusement threatened to paint a small smile on her face, but she crushed it down and instead turned back towards the town with the reply, "there are a few northern towns, but the biggest two is below the Kinkuo monastery. The town there has hundreds of people, maybe even a thousand."

A thousand people… she wondered what seeing that many all at once would be like. Maybe too much if she were honest. The plague of essence and magic… it hurt her head just thinking about the amount the air would be filled with.

"A thousand. Wow." The lack of true excitement in the Guardians voice was obvious but she ignored it. Some people just couldn't grasp such a vast number.

Still, it didn't dampen the man's sprites and he continued on, "well, either way, it'll be good to get my bearings. I honestly need to find a way home."

Curiosity poked inside her and she spared a single glance back at him, "to this earth you told me about?"

He nodded with a huge grin.

She rolled her eyes and turned back towards the road, carefully avoiding a particularly large rut in the ground.

"Yeah it's something else all right. Great place. Though the neighbors, not so much."

His next words simply traveled in one ear and out the other, a simple 'oh really?' or a 'uh huh' being a sufficient enough answer to keep the man entertained.

Truthfully, she didn't want to be rude.

But after yesterday's events she wasn't in the mood for words.

Alas it didn't keep the Guardian from asking hordes of questions, one particular one about who exactly the Kinkou were caught her attention. She may have been a recluse so to speak, but even she knew who they were. All Ionians did, though he wasn't Ionian.

"So the Kinkou are kinda like… a religious police force?"

She sighed, "yes."

"Gotcha and they helped repel the whole Noxus invasion too?"

Ah and then there was that. Whether or not he had been to Ionia didn't matter. Noxus was known for its warmongering policies and desire for conquest. Even a recluse like her had picked up on that. He had to have known about the war, after it wasn't a small deal when Noxus was driven back.

Strange.

She nodded once in reply, hoping it was enough to sate the man. Though as expected it wasn't and he continued-

"Cool. So I'm assuming that's the town?"

She blinked, looking up quickly to see the wooden gates of the town down the road before her, its doors wide open in greeting.

Her brow rose in surprise. She was too distracted to even realize they were basically at the towns doors? How did she even manage that?

Her heart rushed as she realized that all nine of her tails were still out. Quickly she forced them together, having eight twist and hug the ninth enough to appear as if she had a single tail.

She gulped heavily, hoping none from the town had seen all nine. She knew of the rumors of her. Of the demon of the forest and its tails. Making herself seem to have one was the best disguise, after all most rumors were vivid retellings of the woman who had a dozen tails and devoured the innocent.

 _That's not me…_

She had heard of the demon, of how it devoured all equally.

 _I'm not a monster…_

The children didn't believe it of course, too young to remember deaths from over a decade ago.

And the people had assumed the malevolent spirit had moved on. No one had died in that time, no one aside from noxus soldiers at least.

 _It's not me…_

Yet some remembered. The tails and glowing eyes of a murderous seductress.

 _I'm not… that…_

"You okay?"

Her eyes widened and she looked to her companion.

His smile was gentle and his eyes soft. Like the painters. Like… Like… what was his name? What was the painters name?

"Fine." She huffed, trying to edge a smile onto her face but only succeeding in creating a half hearted grin.

She shook her head and shoved the thoughts down, waving for the Guardian to follow her.

He did with a smile and she couldn't help but notice as his eyes scanned the gates and their walls; wooden things about ten feet tall and only thick enough to dissuade any bandits this far north.

Two men, each dressed in light mail stood in front of the opening, long wooden spears held in their right hands. One sighed as they approached, and older more seasoned man, and the other, a young boy no older than her, who's eyes immediately widened as they landed on her, his checks growing red.

He gulped as his eyes traveled over her, and she raised an eyebrow that had him quickly looking away.

The first man however simply spoke up, "and what business do you have in Loreston?"

"Trade." She replied, pulling her bag off her shoulder and tossing it to him in one fluid swing.

The man caught it easily before opening it and eyeing its contents, "you know the Armest about two days north has a bigger market than us right?"

She narrowed her gaze, "I'd rather not go there again."

The eyes of the Guardian burned into her back, his questions obvious, but she ignored him as the man shrugged and handed her back her bag.

"Suit yourself, markets towards the southern end of the town, you'll see the tents set up for a few southern traders." And with that he stepped aside allowing her and the Guardian to pass unheeded.

The Guardian said something of thanks, and she ignored the obvious attraction of the younger Gaurd as they passed through the gates.

Her feet carried her into the town, buildings of wood on either side as they entered and stone roads now under their feet. A couple dozen people were milling about, some walking and talking with obvious friends while others rushed through and into alleys and down the road to whatever it was they were doing.

A few Vastayan were even among them; a woman with large eyes a tong tail, a man with large ears similar tothat woman Xayah and her lover.

A few children rushed in front of them, forcing her to stop lest she run over them, laughing as they chased on another.

Instinctively she grabbed a hand behind her, one that had reached for small opening in the sack she carried.

Amber eyes looked back and down.

A little girl, brown hair and dirt covered skin smiled up at her without her front teeth.

She sighed and released the little one, letting the girl run away to her friends who were waiting between an alley for her.

Their eyes locked onto her and she clocked an eyebrow.

They fled with shrieks.

She smiled and glanced back, "careful, they're sweet but some of the kids are pickpockets."

The Guardian nodded, "yeah I figured. Good catch by the way."

She shrugged, "it's how it is, I doubt they mean any real harm by it. They're just children."

Children. A strange concept. She wondered what it would be like to have one. It was… AnAn interesting thought. They seemed like a handful, though she had no real idea what a parent was supposed to be like.

Of course she had… memories of being one. But those weren't her memories. They were the memories of fathers. And mothers. And sons. And-

"Oh hey you ever been there?"

She blinked in mild shock, realizing she had once more spaced out and followed the pointed finger of her companion.

A building, two stories tall, with women and men walking around in fancy silk attire marched about to tables filled with hungry patrons.

She looked to the sign.

The Hungered Boar.

She'd never been.

And she showed that by shaking her head.

The Guardian then replied, "why don't we try it out? We got time to kill and I think we'd both rather have a meal that wasn't rabbit."

She raised an eyebrow, "do you have any coin?"

He blinked.

"Honestly, I'm dead broke…"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't have enough for a meal at a place like that. Let alone enough for two people."

With a quick shrug she pulled her bag off her shoulder and opened it for the Guardian to see inside.

"Ahh so uh, five golden coins. At least we're not entirely broke!"

"You're broke. I'm not." She pulled the bag back with a quick roll of her eyes.

"Fair point."

She shook her head and continued on down the road towards the market, boots clunking behind her as the Guardian found her.

"Well, I won't lie, but a meal does sound good. If you don't mind covering?" his head turned towards her as a couple passed by, the two steering clear of the oddly dressed duo, before she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I swear I'll pay you back, but like you said I'm broke. And hungry. I really don't want rabbit or squirrel."

For a moment she glared at him, studying his eyes and his sheepish smile.

He had been true to his word so far…

He wasn't the shopkeeper.

 _He'll betray you…_

She grit her teeth, and looked away, eyes scanning the surrounding buildings. The first restaurant they passed was far down to their left, but if she squinted-

Yes! A simple tavern at the furthest end of the street opposite of them.

A few minutes walk, but nothing too crazy. They could even pass by the stall with fresh salted meats.

Maybe they had venison!

It had been a while since she'd had that.

With a sigh she nodded softly, "fine, but you owe me."

She nodded towards the end of the street and waved him after her as she started down the streets, careful to stick to edge of the road with the few carriages and the dozens of people walking about.

The markets were open all day. They be there later.

" So what do they serve at this place? Please tell me they have steak?"

She smiled.

It had been a while since she'd had a meal with someone.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This chapter was gonna be longer, but the ending here felt much better than the other one. So I decided to shorten it and make the next chapter larger and have a better flow.**

 **More of Ahri's lore, at least kinda. Andy is still a clueless guardian. In case anyone's wondering the fox is about… 22-25 in lore, I think. Or physically she is, her actual age I think is over thirty but she ages slowly if memory serves correct. Plus her younger years don't really count as she was raised by wolves and was basically a feral animal for about a decade and a half.**

 **Xayah and Rakan yay. I had wanted the two initially to team up with our duo, but considering Xayahs personality I realized how… Unlikely that was.**

 **Next chapter we'll be introduced to two more characters from the game, two in particular who's lore I just learned about.**

 **Don't worry, or favorite Vastayan couple isn't gone. Andy also wasn't the main focus of this entire chapter, we got more insight into Ahri.**

 **Girl definitely has issues, even in lore.**

 **The new Morde rework looks dope. It also will help this story!**

 **Sorry this took so long.**

 **Next I'll hopefully have the next chapter out! Summer break is dope for writing time.**

 **God bless and review.**

 **-Metal4k**


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